Joniak's Journal: Trubisky Says He'll Make Necessary Adjustments

Mitch Trubisky was outstanding at the Halas Hall podium Thursday. He detailed his performance in Green Bay: expectations, perceptions, and reality.

“We want immediate results,” Trubisky said. “Everybody, the media, the fans, myself, but unfortunately that’s not always part of it. I got to just continue to work, get better every single day and realize that’s the kind of level we are at and those are the expectations. But I’m not going to hold any extra pressure over my head or doing anything more. I just got to do what I got to do.”

Every game turns into a defining game for quarterbacks. That is the reality, even though we all know each outcome is a moment in time.

“For me, It’s not accepting that reality. That’s how it is on the outside, but for me I can’t let any game, any play, define who I am as a player or as a person. I mean, I continue to grow and get better. Each opportunity is just another day to get better and continue to grow.”

Trubisky’s 13 NFL starts are not enough by any form of evaluation to define or stamp what he ultimately grows into as a player and what type of quarterback he evolves into being. But he’s grinding, and he is quite critical of his day-to-day development.

“If I’m too hard on myself then I just get discouraged and then it goes from playing okay to playing worse. I just try to stay positive and just keep that belief that we’re going to get over the hump and then we’ll starting getting all the plays—everything that it’s designed for---everything that I believe that I can do and this offense can do. That’s the reality of it. I still got the best job in the world so I can’t complain too much.”

Calming his feet in the pocket, trusting his eyes and overall better awareness are on the table for Trubisky moving forward. He said as much. Winning from the pocket is the biggest step in the development of young quarterbacks.

Second Thought

Khalil Mack wants the win of course but felt great making plays in Green Bay. It was a big splash, something he is accustomed to, but teammates are now only learning first-hand what it is like to play with the former defensive player of the year and vice-versa.

“You see the talent,” Mack said. “It’s there. You see the effort. You see the love for football. You see all those different intangibles. You’ve got all the things you need to be a great defense.”

His first impression of defensive end Akiem Hicks is a lasting one.

“That guy is powerful man. He’s one of the best guys I’ve played with, for sure as far as inside pass rush kind of players. The power he has and the attention he takes up inside, yeah, it’s something I can really get used to.”

Mack and Hicks have a chance to wreck the right side of the Seahawks offensive line.

Third Degree

A social media screenshot of Bears tight end Trey Burton open in the middle of the end zone Sunday night has prompted discussion. Is Burton open? How did Trubisky evaluate that play in real time? What should the quarterback have done in this situation? It was third down and goal at the Packer three in the final half-minute of the first quarter.

“Trey (Burton) is one of the options, but it’s later on in the progression,” Head Coach Matt Nagy said. “That’s not Mitch’s fault for not seeing that.”

Nagy said Burton was not as open as the still shot looked.

“Yeah, I’m sure everyone saw what I saw and they’re like, ‘Oh, Mitch throw the wide-open guy in the back of the end zone’ and trust me, I wish I would. Tarik (Cohen) was the first option in the flat. It’s one of those plays where you -- how risky are you going to be? Are you going to take care of the football? So, I checked it down, what we lost, five yards, but we got three points out of it and went up 10-nothing. So that was the big positive takeaway for me.”

Then Trubisky made the point that should put everyone at ease: “If I want to evolve into the quarterback I want to be, you’ve got to take the opportunity and I’ve got to anticipate that even more.”

He is hard on himself, but pragmatic.

“You’ve got to know as a quarterback, if that opens up, take your chances and get it to the guy wide open. But it’s a little less wide opener when you’re playing it full motion on film. You want touchdowns, not field goals. But I thought I put myself and my team in a good position in that instance, first quarter, check it down, three points, we’re up 10-0.”

Fourth-and-short

A bigger role for rookie inside linebacker Roquan Smith is coming sooner rather than later.

“I think so, yeah,” Head Coach Matt Nagy said. “I do feel like right now he is in a position to definitely play more.”